THE EAST SIDE TRANSPORTATION INITIATIVE

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THE EAST SIDE TRANSPORTATION INITIATIVE
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WELCOME!

• SNC-Lavalin Inc. and AECOM
• would like to welcome you
• and thank you for
• attending this open house.
• We are here to present information
• on the following studies
• 1. PR 304 to Berens River All-Season Road
  Environmental Impact Assessment (ASR) (EIA)
• 2. East Side Transportation Study (ESTS)

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PROJECT OVERVIEW
CROWN
EAST SIDE ROAD AUTHORITY (ESRA)
EAST SIDE TRANSPORTATION INITIATIVE
Duty to Consult (Section 35)
PR 304 to Berens River All-Season Road
East Side Transportation Study
Aboriginal Engagement Strategy
Aboriginal Communities
October 2010
July 2009
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) August 2009
Aboriginal and Community Leadership
Construction Fall 2010
Information Gathering and Sharing with
Communities and Stakeholders
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EAST SIDE TRANSPORTATION INITIATIVE (East Side
Road Authority)
The Initiative will
Provide a system of all-season roads which are
expected to serve communities, provide
opportunities for social and economic development
and be environmentally responsive and respectful
of First Nations traditional activities, culture
and land values.
We are here today to listen to your comments and
concerns about the project and if you feel there
may be impacts or benefits
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PR 304 TO BERENS RIVER ALL-SEASON ROAD

• Upgrading the existing Rice River Road and
  extending to Bloodvein
• New all-season gravel surface road from Bloodvein
  to Berens River
• 3 route options Shoreline, Inner Shoreline and
  Central
• Environmental impact assessment
• Community and public
• engagement
• Technical analysis
• identification and selection
• of route options
• Construction initiation Fall 2010

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PR 304 TO BERENS RIVER Key Plan

• Berens River First Nation
• Hollow Water First Nation
• Bloodvein First Nation
• Little Grand Rapids First Nation
• Pauingassi First Nation
• Poplar River First Nation
• Manigotagan NACC
• Loon Straits NACC
• Princess Harbour NACC
• Seymourville NACC
• Aghaming NACC
• Berens River NACC
• Pine Dock NACC
• Little Grand Rapids NACC

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PR 304 TO BERENS RIVER Shoreline Option A
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PR 304 TO BERENS RIVER Inner-shoreline Option B
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PR 304 TO BERENS RIVER Central Option C
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PR 304 TO BERENS RIVER Study Scope

• Community Engagement and Participation Plan
• Communities voice their opinions, comments and
  questions on the project.
• Preparation of an Environmental Impact Assessment
  (EIA)
• Evaluation of environmental, social and cultural
  impacts of the all-season road for the community,
  government to review.
• Road and Bridge Design
• Engineering design of all-season road, bridges
  and other facilities (eg. Culverts, drainage,
  etc.)
• MIT Highway Classification Secondary
  Arterial/Collector
• Design Speed - 100 km/h
• Road Surface - Gravel
• Roadway Top Width 10 meters (32.8 feet)
• Right-of-Way Width 100 meters with 60 meters
  (197 feet) cleared

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PR 304 TO BERENS RIVER Community and Public
Engagement / Participation Plan

• The Community and Public Engagement /
  Participation Plan will consist of meetings with
  public and stakeholders, community leaders,
  elders and membership
• Round 1 in Spring 2009 To discuss all three
  route options with all potentially affected
  communities requires leadership approval.
• Round 2 in Summer 2009 To discuss the
  recommended route and findings of the
  environmental and traditional knowledge studies.

Manigotagan NACC Community Meeting March, 2009
Hollow Water Community Meeting March, 2009
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PR 304 to BERENS RIVER Environmental Impact
Assessment (EIA)

• The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
  examines impacts that the project may have on
  aquatic life, vegetation and wildlife, protected
  areas, soils, surface and groundwater, and air,
  as well as impacts to communities and heritage
  resources.

• Preliminary desktop review of existing
  published information has been started.
• Fieldwork on recommended route in Spring/Summer
  2009.
• Federal and provincial approvals required.

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PR 304 to BERENS RIVER Vegetation and Wildlife

• Vegetation
• Dominant vegetation includes Jack Pine forest,
  Sphagnum bog and Black Spruce forest and wetland
• Manitoba Conservation Data Centre lists 43 plant
  species of concern for the surrounding region
• No federally and/or provincially listed species
  at risk found in the general project area

• Wildlife
• Manitoba Conservation Data Centre states that
  animal species of concern are Carmine Shiner,
  Green Frog, Mink Frog and Barred Owl
• Animal groups of concern American white
  pelican, Double-Crested Cormorant, Gulls and
  Snake Hibernacula
• Potentially 4 federally and/or provincially
  listed species at risk could be found in the
  general project area Woodland Caribou, Eastern
  Wolf, Piping Plover and Spragues Pipit

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PR 304 to BERENS RIVERProtected Areas

• Proposed UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Bloodvein Canadian Heritage River
• Chief George Barker Wildlife Refuge
• Atikaki Provincial Wilderness Park
• Manigotagan River Provincial Park
• Nopiming Provincial Park
• Hecla/Grindstone Provincial Park

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PR 304 to BERENS RIVERSurface and Ground Water

• Surface Water
• Study area includes 10 major rivers and numerous
  streams and brooks
• Waters traditionally used for travel
• Hydrometric stations located on 4 major rivers
• Manigotagan River, Bloodvein River, Pigeon River,
  Berens River
• Water levels typically lowest in March and
  highest between May and July
• Water features include falls, rapids and rock
  outcroppings
• Bridges located on several of the rivers in the
  southern part of the area
• Groundwater
• No continuous bedrock aquifers exist within the
  study area
• 21 registered groundwater wells in project region
• 13 registered as production wells for domestic
  use, 8 registered as test wells

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PR 304 to BERENS RIVERGeology, Mining and Soils

• Geology
• Bedrock Geology
• Granite, granodiorite and quartz diorite
• Surface Geology
• Clayey lacustrine deposits with bedrock
  outcroppings
• Various peats underlain by lacustrine sediments
• Mining and Mineral Exploration
• Mining Claims and Mineral Leases
• Claims around Manigotagan to north of Black
  Island and east of Deer Island near Rice River
• Only active mineral leases near Rice Lake/ Gold
  Lake
• Quarry Leases and Withdrawals
• Withdrawal areas around Manigotagan, north of
  Hollow Water along Lake Winnipeg to Bloodvein
  First Nation and Berens River
• Lease areas around Manigotagan, south of
  Seymourville, and between Manigotagan and
  Bloodvein First Nation
• Soils
• Southern portion
• Glaciolacustrine sediments (clays, silt and minor
  sand) with bedrock outcroppings
• Northern portion
• Organic peat soils (mesisols fribrisols), with
  bedrock outcroppings

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PR 304 to BERENS RIVER Archaeology

• Archaeology
• Known archaeological sites located along
  waterways and well traveled trails, including
• Pictographs, petroforms, campsites, workshops,
  killsites, ceramics, stone tools and good hunting
  rocks

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PR 304 TO BERENS RIVER Socio-economic Assessment
and Traditional Knowledge Study

• The Socio-economic Study is an evaluation of
  potential social, economic, and cultural effects
  (impacts and benefits) that the project may have
  on communities, their daily activities and
  quality of life.
• The Study starts with researching specific
  subject areas to gain a community profile. Some
  examples include population, human health and
  wellness, education and training, regional and
  local economy, infrastructure and community
  services, tourism, crime and social issues
• Traditional Knowledge studies are being conducted
  in each First Nation community in order to
  provide information that may otherwise be
  unavailable to the study team. The information
  obtained from the TK studies is used only with
  their permission and will be returned to the
  community.

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PR 304 TO BERENS RIVERCriteria Identification
for Preferred Route Selection

• The following categories of criteria were used to
  evaluate the three route alternatives
• Technical travel distance terrain conditions
  borrow availability and construction constraints
  or limitations
• Natural Environment Habitat fragmentation
  effects to environmentally sensitive features
  effects to species at risk (SARA) effects to
  aquatic habitat
• Social/Cultural Environment Potential effects
  (positive and negative) of project development on
  employment, economic development culturally
  sensitive resources, etc. and
• Capital and Maintenance Costs Present estimated
  value of capital cost (bridges, culverts and
  road), and annual maintenance costs.

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PR 304 TO BERENS RIVER Preferred Alternative

• The shoreline route (Option A) was chosen as the
  preferred route alternative. Some adjustments to
  the route were made based on the following
  suggestions
• Avoid the Pigeon River and Berens Reserve Lands
• Suggestions from Berens River First Nation to
  take advantage of better terrain conditions, and
  to match areas cleared for existing winter road
  alignments and
• Provide a greater set-back from the Lake Winnipeg
  shoreline in the southern segment of the route to
  improve on the potential development of lakefront
  cottage properties or tourism facilities.

Based on these suggestions, the Shoreline Route
was altered slightly and renamed the Revised
Shoreline Route
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PR 304 TO BERENS RIVERRevised Shoreline Route
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PR 304 TO BERENS RIVER Schedule
Environmental Baseline and Impact Assessment

Community Meetings Public Engagement
Complete EIA Report August 2009
EIA Approval Spring 2010
Route Identification Refinement
EIA Regulatory Review
WE ARE HERE!
Construction Start Fall 2010
Preliminary Detail Design
Tendering
Winter 2009
Fall 2010
Spring 2010
Summer 2009
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THE EAST SIDE TRANSPORTATION STUDY

• The East Side Transportation Study will identify
  All-Season Road (ASR) alignments to connect the
  East Side communities to the rest of the
  all-season transportation network in Manitoba.
• Due to the large number of communities and the
  importance of their participation in the study,
  we will use two parallel and interactive
  processes to carry out this study
• 1. A technical process and
• 2. A community and public engagement process.

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EAST SIDE TRANSPORTATION STUDY Key Plan

• Berens River First Nation
• Bloodvein First Nation
• Bunibonibee Cree Nation
• Garden Hill First Nation
• Gods Lake First Nation
• Hollow Water First Nation
• Little Grand Rapids First Nation
• Manto Sipi Cree Nation
• Norway House Cree Nation
• Pauingassi First Nation
• Red Sucker Lake First Nation
• St. Theresa Point First Nation
• Wasagamack First Nation
• Cross Lake First Nation
• Gods Lake Narrows NACC
• Island Lake NACC
• Little Grand Rapids NACC
• Oxford House NACC
• Red Sucker Lake NACC

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EAST SIDE TRANSPORTATION STUDYOption A
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EAST SIDE TRANSPORTATION STUDY Option B
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EAST SIDE TRANSPORTATION STUDY Option C
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EAST SIDE TRANSPORTATION STUDYOption D
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EAST SIDE TRANSPORTATION STUDYOption E
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EAST SIDE TRANSPORTATION STUDYOption F
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EAST SIDE TRANSPORTATION STUDYOption G
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EAST SIDE TRANSPORTATION STUDY Factors for
Comparing Route and Network Options

• Technical Criteria
• Suitability of the land, soils and surficial
  geological deposits to accommodate the road and
  to provide construction materials for the road.
• Determining the best routes to enhance travel and
  trade opportunities between the East Side
  Planning Area and the rest of Manitoba.
• Road construction and bridge costs.
• Natural Environment Criteria
• Protection of the natural environment including
  Areas of Special Interest, species at risk,
  aquatic habitat, forest cover.
• Human Environment Criteria
• Protection of historical sites, archaeological
  resources, local culture and traditional land
  uses.
• Enhancement of opportunities for social and
  economic improvements by providing more reliable
  access to communities.
• Recognition and protection of traditional land
  uses, resources and activities.

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COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND PARTICIPATION
PROCESS

• Public meetings will be held in the communities
  to introduce the East Side Transportation Study.
• A stakeholder meeting will take place in
  Winnipeg for input into the project.
• We are requesting input from the public, other
  stakeholders, community leaders, elders and
  community members on the route options, as well
  asking for your help in identifying issues or
  opportunities associated with the project.
• Traditional Knowledge studies will be conducted
  in each First Nation community so that we better
  understand the community culture and traditional
  way of life.

• Hollow Water First Nation, March 2009

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ROUTE SELECTION PROCESS

• Step 1 Compile Baseline Information and Develop
  Initial Routing Options
• Begin compiling environmental and socio-economic
  information for the ESTS
• Identification of potential environmental,
  terrain and other constraints that affect
  routing
• Identification of routing options based on
  terrain mapping, constructability, and
  connectivity
• Identification of evaluation criteria for route
  option comparison.
• Step 2 Round 1 Community and Stakeholder
  Meetings and Traditional Knowledge Study (TK)
  Initiation
• Present and obtain feedback on initial routing
  options to communities and stakeholders and
• Initiate traditional knowledge studies.
• Step 3 Identify Preferred Route
• Analyze environmental and socio-economic
  information to determine benefits and potential
  impacts of route options
• Incorporate community and stakeholder feedback
  into evaluation of preferred route options
• Refine evaluation criteria and compare route
  options to identify recommended route.
• Step 4 Identify Recommended Route

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EAST SIDE TRANSPORTATION STUDYSchedule
Task 1 Baseline Information and Potential Routes
Determined

Task 2 First Round of Community Meetings and
Public Engagement
We Are Here!
Task 3 Detailed Definition and Evaluation of
Preferred Routes
Task 4 Second Round of Community Meetings
(Winter/Spring 2010)
Task 5 Benefit/Cost Analysis Of All-Season
Road Alternatives
Final Reporting
July 2008
Summer 2009
Fall 2010
Spring 2010
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CONTACT US!
East Side Road Initiative Mr. Doug
Peterson    East Side Road Authority Inc.
200-155 Carlton StreetWinnipeg, Manitoba, R3C
3H8 Toll Free [phone] Fax
[phone] Email Doug.peterson_at_
gov.mb.ca